It’s not easy to motivate yourself to go running at the best of times, let alone when you’ve taken time off exercise. For this particular author, this whole episode rings true. Yes, we ran the London Marathon last month, and afterwards, we took a month off. Personal life meant we had to have a break, but after running the marathon, you’re genuinely exhausted anyway. That’s why we’ve decided to write a blog helping others understand how to get back into running. But that doesn’t mean that if you have not started running, you can’t also follow these tips. Below we outline our experiences and how we’ve got back into running.
Only go running if you want to
Even if you are training for a particular race, it is important that you only go running if you feel up to it. For many, a forced run is why people end up hating exercise in the first place. You are also more likely to encounter a muscular injury if you’re not feeling up to it. That’s because you won’t warm up properly, and your body will be tight. Warming up is tedious for many who want to get going, but it does help loosen your body. It also gets the people going!
Every single athlete or someone needing to exercise should do a warm-up. Just watch the professionals! Even if they’ve been doing it for 30 years, they still go through the same repetitiveness of warming up. So this is what we are trying to say. If you’re sat at home having not exercised for a while, it is time to get going again. If you feel a sudden rush of energy, there is no excuse not to get up and go. It’s one of the best ways to get back into running.
Set up a training plan
A lot of people are goal orientated. If you set up a training plan with goals, an individual is likelier to follow them. This is always evident when it comes to sportsmen and those looking to exercise. Even the most casual gym goer will have goals in mind. Just going for a swim, a person will still want to travel the same distance as last time or do it in a quicker time. The same can be said for runners. If you’re looking to get back into running, you’ll want to set yourself goals and beat them each time. Couch to 5K is a perfect example of this. Many people opt for this training plan, but it is usually for beginners rather than those looking to get back into running. If you want to get back into running, it is probably worth finding the training plan that worked well for you. It is always good to test yourself. You’ll also get an accurate reflection of where you are.
How to get back into running
Try and speak to a community. Whether you join a running app like Strava, which measures time and distance, or join a running club, one of the best feelings about getting back into running is being part of a community. You are testing not only yourself but also others. Even a park run on a Saturday morning is a great example of getting everyone together. You will naturally find yourself going much quicker than usual, thanks to the buzz of competing with others and running with your friends. Almost every runner who takes time out says they miss that buzz of running with others. When we ran the London Marathon, the crowd buzz was able to pull us through to achieve our goals.
Read our inspirational articles
Another way to get you back into running is to read the other articles on our site. We try to provide advice and inspiration but also important tips which you should benefit from. We’re not experts by any means; these are our thoughts, but they should help the average runner. We are also keen swimmers, cyclists, gym enthusiasts and general hikers, so we’ll also be providing tips on getting into those activities.
Let us know what you think in the comments, especially if you want to get back into running!
